An anonymous photographer from the 1950s seemed to be interested in some of the smaller details in Disneyland. Sure, that castle is great, and how often do you see a moon rocket? But some folks have an eye for the little things that others don't. The Fantasyland Skyway chalet was a real showstopper, perched on its hill, surrounded by an Alpine forest, and replete with charming folk art details. Does the circular device show the signs of the zodiac? And all of those shields must represent various Swiss municipalities (or something).
While aboard the Chicken of the Sea Pirate Ship, our photographer looked up at the crow's nest, which is probably so small that only a monkey could look for distant sails (try not to think about scurvy monkeys). I have learned that the “lubber’s hole” into the crow’s nest is a shameful way for any true seaman to go up… a real “salt” will climb the outside. The rigging and sails all look mighty impressive!
Major-
ReplyDeleteIt's nice that someone took the time to 'stop and smell the details' - of which both images have many. That chalet was always a beauty and a great loss to Disneyland. It was clearly a missed opportunity for re-purposing once the Skyway was 86'd.
Thanks, Major.
Oooh, I like this shot of the Chalet. It could benefit from havig a little more contrast and... I better stop. I don't wanna be responsible for more homeless orphans. That "circular device" looks like the Procter & Gamble logo... sort of. The shields represent the many Swiss cantons (sort of like states or counties). Seeing the Chalet up close like this, it would've made an excellent clock tower with mechanical dancers and such, after they removed the Skyway. We mentioned that here before... so why didn't they do it? Instead of just tearing it down? I better stop again. I can here those orphans' teeth chattering in the cold.
ReplyDeleteThis IS a nice shot! I like how the oranges and yellows contrast with the blue sky. The “lubber’s hole”, hmm. I think I would rather be a living shameful seaman than a dead 'salt'. SCURVY MONKEYS!!! MAKE IT STOP!!11!!1!!
Really nice images today! Thanks, Major. SCURVY MONKEYS!!! [JB runs away screaming with his arms flailing about!]
JB, don't be afraid of the scurvy monkeys. They only want an orange or two. They might even settle for a Flintstones Vitamin.
ReplyDeleteI've always thought the same thing about the Skyway chalet having figures that come out of those two little doors. Figures of Walt and Lillian would have been nice. They could have come out, turned towards one another, and kissed. Or clobbered one another! Was there a little "fighting couple" on one of Geppetto's clocks? Or maybe I'm thinking of his clock that had the mother spanking a child.
I like seeing the Skyway chalet with it's two spires. I think those were removed years before the attraction ever shut down. If the San Diego Zoo, Sea World, and even Disney World can have a "sky ride," why can't Disneyland?
Thank you for the "Details" pics, Major!
Seems someone has been reading their Aubrey-Maturin series again! Lubber hole indeed! This discussion once again legally allows me to use the term "futtock"-- the rope ladders going to the outside of the crow's nest that "real" sailors would use to avoid the lubber hole!
ReplyDeleteNanook, I know, for years I was sure that they would repurpose the Chalet for a restaurant or *something*, it’s such a shame that they tore it down.
ReplyDeleteJB, the orphans are getting nervous! The Proctor and Gamble device - it’s of the Devil! Which is why I like it. I have a very old P&G employee badge with an enamel Man in the Moon, it’s pretty cool. Swiss cantons are delicious, I had some when I was in Zermatt. As for that Chalet, I find it hard to believe that getting people up there (and back down) was an insurmountable problem. They just didn’t try very hard. Walt would have done it! I kind of forget now, but I think that crow’s nest photo was in a batch of unlabeled slides, it took a nerd like me to figure out that it was from Disneyland.
TokyoMagic! ha ha, whenever I think of Flinstones Vitamins, I remember when my little brother got a “red Fred” stuck up his nose. He never reads my blog, so I can talk about it all day! I do like the idea of a “Small World” - style clock for the Chalet. Walt and Lillian could have been in traditional Swiss costumes. Could they somehow flick cheese fondue? Sounds difficult. Supposedly, Tony B wanted to get guests “back up in the air”, but he’s gone now, so I doubt it will happen. I watched a YouTube video about the potential changes to our Tomorrowland, but it was pure speculation, what was the point?
Steve DeGaetano, well, I’ve read some of the books again! I do have them all though. “Futtock”, definitely a word that sounds dirty even if it isn’t.
The Chalet was a gem among buildings. Making it a cuckoo clock sounds like a fine idea to me. It’s a little-known fact that the Swiss invented Cantonese cooking, next time you have chow mein, thank the Swiss.
ReplyDeleteLots of loose talk around this crows’ nest, but you know how sailors are…. “Hello Sailor!”… another bit of detail I will miss forever.
That whole D23 blog-o-Rama runs on speculation, the gasoline of vapidity. One of the Disney brass could spell “PM” in seashells on the beach in his Instagram and the whole ecosystem would go bonkers about the PeopleMover coming back.
Thanks Major!
JG
These are a couple of real gems! I can never get enough of the little details; I hope our poor photographer didn't end up with a crick in their neck by the end of the day. I wonder how often they had to repaint the Pirate Ship to keep it looking so yar?
ReplyDeleteAnd all of those shields must represent various Swiss municipalities
The big one represents a Swiss sun-and-MOON-icipality! And the one with the bull's head represents a Swiss MOO-nicipality! Thank you, thank you, I'm sorry, I'll be here all week, don't forget to tip your cows.
I think Little Walt and Lillian should come out of the Swiss clock and throw Florida oranges at the scurvy monkeys. Tie up all the loose ends at the stroke of twelve.
I'm not sure why they even bother with the D23 events anymore. It feels like the Lucasfilm problem of being afraid of their own fanbase has spread to the entire company. But I'm probably just being a Grumpy Gus as usual and should go have a nice cup of cocoa or something.
Tokyo!, Great... Now I have to carry a bottle of Flintstones Vitamins around with me everywhere I go. You never know when a scurvy monkey is gonna jump out of the bushes to rip your face off!
ReplyDeleteMajor, I'm getting close to saying "the heck with it!" when it comes to homeless orphans. Give them an inch and they'll take a mile. "Are there no prisons? Are the workhouses still in operation?" Also, I prefer the dark chocolate cantons over the milk chocolate ones.
JG, I just cooked some chow mein a couple nights ago, along with sweet & sour spareribs, fried rice, egg foo yung, and egg flower soup. We're still eating it. Thank you, Swiss folk!
Melissa, 'Tis good to hear the word "yar" on GDB again!
A lubber hole sounds like GDB AFTER DARK...so I will leave it there...and the other thing to avoid going into the lubber land...sounds pretty equal... can't we just say port and starboard? Definitely moving on to the Swiss Chalet, presented by Swiss Miss, the worlds best cocoa mix with tiny marshamallows! I would have loved to turn this lovely building into a entire fondue and cocoa experience...and it all makes sense...bread and cheese....Swiss Pizza! Very fast food without being a Zinger....but maybe a bread and cheese Zinger? On to something here: I'd eat it....I'm not sure they (WDI) lack imagination, I think is more "is it cost effective"...then things go bulldozed. It's just a shame as Walt opened this building, at it is so lovely. There are certain things: historic things, that should not be messed with....but, there isn't a sacred cow for miles. I haven't given up on that stupid pirate they thrust upon the public.....talk about lubber holes.....and hearing "it's not that bad"....absolutely doesn't help. OK...over my rant: these are great photos in the "style of Lou": seeing the unordinary in the ordinary....and a couple of landmarks, long gone...Thanks Major for the preservation.
ReplyDeleteWalt and Lillian could have been in traditional Swiss costumes. Could they somehow flick cheese fondue? Sounds difficult.
ReplyDeletePerfect! And the old chalet could have been turned into a fondue restaurant, as Bu pointed out! OR, they could have thrown down Swiss chocolates, individually wrapped, of course, and turned the chalet into a chocolate/candy shop. After all, the Ghirardelli shop over at DCA gives out free chocolate squares to guests. Or at least, they used to! I wonder if they still do that? I am imagining a sign today, which reads, "Free Chocolates - Only $10 Each!" But the free candy was/is probably a "Ghirardelli Company thing" and not a "Greedy Corporate Disney thing."
You never know when a scurvy monkey is gonna jump out of the bushes to rip your face off!
JB, I think the monkeys actually EAT your face off! :-)
Supposedly, Tony B wanted to get guests “back up in the air.”
Major.....yeah, yeah and years ago, Joe R. promised to fix the static/broken Yeti in Animal Kingdom. I think they all lie for the company. This weekend, they did make a "claim" that it will finally happen, but geeez.....it's been broken for 20 freakin' years! And they didn't give any details or dates. And it was the same with the new Tomorrowland for DL announcement. These days, I just say, "I'll believe it when I see it....but I won't be holding my breath!"
Major, I forgot to ask you.....did the Fred Flinstone vitamin-up-the-nose incident require a trip to the ER, or did your mother say, "Somone get me a pair of tweezers.....I'VE GOT THIS!"
ReplyDeleteI think Little Walt and Lillian should come out of the Swiss clock and throw Florida oranges at the scurvy monkeys. Tie up all the loose ends at the stroke of twelve.
ReplyDeleteMelissa, YES....PERFECT!!! :-)
Mmm, Swiss Chalet! I'm glad this post gave me a craving from my youth when the Canadian rotisserie-chicken chain had locations in Western New York, because I just looked and found out you can order their signature sauce online!
ReplyDeleteSo I know we’ve discussed the fate of the Fantasyland Skyway Challet several times before on GDB. All those ideas had been proposed and discussed … an animated clock show … some of the concepts for that are shown in the DL WDI FIELD GUIDE book- I’m not certain of the edition. And a food/snack service facility… but it brings us back to the whole reason the SKYWAY was removed from Disneyland in the first place : WHEELCHAIRS!! As soon as you go in to add food prep into a structure build as a cable house in 1956 you have to bring it up to code … wheelchair access … removal of all original pre 1981 paint coatings … add restrooms etc… etc etc … then it becomes something else all together … and it’s no longer the charming Disneyland Skyway Challet. Incidently the exact same thing happened to the amazingly gorgeous Walt Disney World fantasyland Skyway Challet complex too. It was completely demolished … hay sheds , streams , bridges , well, clock tower - all of it! To make way for a tangled themed bathroom … with a too tall
ReplyDeleteRupunzel tower that can be seen from Liberty Square as well …(?!??!?) I built the models first that back in 2010 …. Myself and another model maker were temporarily pulled off a project to build models for the new “skyway” complex … but this time we were given “scope of demolition” drawings to go with the blueprints for what we were going to be building and I was devastated to see more 1971 WDW design masterpiece being destroyed !!! Incidently between the Rapunzel tower and the tangled bathrooms and it’s a small world complex was to be an entryway for a tangled boat ride, which never came to be, but a similar attraction has opened at Tokyo Disneyland, and there has been proposals for a similar tangled boat ride for Disneyland fantasyland